Dec - AMC of Houston

Newsletter of the American Motors Club of Houston
December 2013 Issue 12
From the Officers - Latest Club News You Can Use
Upcoming Events
Club Information
Member Profile – Ted Davis
The First American Muscle Car – 1957 Rambler Rebel
1975-80 AMC Pacer
Houston Autorama
AMC Marlin Fastback Coupe, 1965-67
Club Store
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From the Officers:
Cover Photo: 2013 AMC Club of Houston Autorama Display
Free National Club Membership!!
In an effort to get more folks to attend our monthly meetings, a giveaway will be
held a couple of times a year to award some lucky members with a free membership
to the American Motors Owners Association (our Club is an AMO chapter). If the
lucky winner is already an AMO member, he or she will have the option of a free
membership in one of the other national AMC clubs, such as AMCRC or NAMDRA.
Keep an eye out for email regarding the giveaway.
Upcoming Events
A Listing of Club Events for 2014 will be published soon
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AMCoH Officers
President
Tom Taylor
4406 Mize Rd
Pasadena, TX 775045
713-249-2466
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Vice President
Mike Knuckey
713-253-8276
[email protected]
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Co-Secretaries
Ted Davis & Scott Stubler
713-721-8960 & 713-569-8421
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Treasurer
Cliff Osborne
713-773-1515
[email protected]
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Activities Director
Tim Gould
281-435-4452
[email protected]
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Membership Chairman
Kevin Dalley
281-481-6363
[email protected]
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WebMaster
Peter Groenewold
708-431-0987
[email protected]
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Newsletter Editor
Gary Parente
713-859-7249
[email protected]
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Member Profile: Ted Davis
My family moved overseas in 1962 when I was 12 years old. I was there until I graduated from high school. While attending high
school, I worked on seismic survey ships in the summer and saved my money for my first car, a blue ‘69 MG midget. At the
time we were living in England, I was attending school in Italy and working summers, so I did not get to drive the MG. So, the
summer of ‘69 saw my car being shipped to the states. I returned to London to visit my family and then headed to the states to go
to college in El Paso. That was when I got the bad news that my cousin had wrecked my car! It was a total loss.
I returned to the states and collected the insurance money. Now I needed to find a new car in a hurry as the school year was
about to start. Having been out of the states for so long, I did not know anything about American cars. During my search, I got to
test drive a Dodge Swinger and a Ford Mustang Mach 1. I had nowhere near enough cash to afford a cool car. So, at this point
my dad helped me buy a Ford Maverick. During my freshman year, the ‘70 Mark Donahue Javelin debuted and this was the first
time I noticed AMC. As I did not have a job while going to school, all I could do was consider trading in the Maverick.
A couple years later I transferred from UTEP to the University of Houston where a fraternity brother had a ‘69 Javelin SST. His
name was Eddie Davis. It was Eddie, Don Goble, and I that started the club (a charter of the national club) some years later.
At this point I started looking for a used Javelin. I found several and finally bought a blue ‘69 SST with a 290V8 and auto
transmission. After owning this car for about a year, I had an accident which broke the grill and bent the bumper and hood.
Because I liked the style of the ‘70 Javelin better, I decided to change the front sheet metal to the ‘70 style. Also at that time I
managed to buy a Mark Donohue rear spoiler which I installed. This is the same one I have on my current AMX.
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Ted Davis – continued
My second AMC was an AMX. While visiting my wife's relatives in Sherman, Texas, I spotted an AMX from the highway in a
used car dealer lot. Arriving back home, I talked my wife into us buying this car if the price was right. It was a Bittersweet
Orange ‘69 AMX 343V8 with auto.
For a few years Eddie and I were partners on several junk AMXs. We parted them out and planned to restore others. Enter my
current ‘70 AMX, which Eddie located and I talked my wife into buying. It is Commodore Blue Metallic with a 360V8, AC, 4
speed, rally pak, and power front disc brakes. At this point I sold the ‘69. She drove the ‘70 to work for a couple of years before
we retired it for restoration. We started showing it at the Houston Autorama with the club’s display. The third time we showed it
we won 1st place in the Sports Car class.
When we moved to our current home we sold and traded off most everything except for the ‘70 AMX. As for future plans, I
don’t intend for it to be a show car again but a nice driver to take to cruises and the like.
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The First American Muscle Car – Not the 1964 Pontiac GTO
1957 Rambler Rebel
1957 was the last year for both the Nash and Hudson marques, which were dropped in favor of
Rambler, simplifying sales and marketing. The Rebel was launched as the first American factory hotrod. It came in silver, with silver and black upholstery, a new 255 hp 4 bbl 327 cid V-8, four speed or
auto, and dual exhaust. It ran the quarter in 17.0 seconds; Mike Sealey pointed out that it was
advertised as the fastest four door car in America from 0-60 mph (Only the Corvette that year was
considered faster). Only 1,500 silver Rebels were built; in addition to the silver paint, these Rebels had
anodized gold trim. Since the typical definition of the muscle car was putting the largest displacement
engine of the manufacturer in it’s intermediate sized model, then the ’57 Rebel fits the bill.
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1975-'80 AMC Pacer
The Pacer pointed the way toward modern car-design priorities
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Hemmings Motor News / March 2012
AMC had found itself unexpectedly cash-rich in the early 1970s. The Hornet and Gremlin had sold well among
the Mavericks, Pintos and Vegas that comprised Detroit's second wave of compacts, and Kenosha decided the
way forward was to do what the rest of the Big Three weren't doing. Like the ads from the early '70s admitted,
"If you had to compete with GM, Ford and Chrysler, what would you do?"
AMC Styling VP Dick Teague claims the Pacer on his résumé. He'd done plenty of highly styled machines in his
career--the Packard Executive, AMC Javelin, AMC Hornet, the '74 AMC Matador coupe--but the Pacer had a
unique priority. In the Pacer, which was dreamed up as early as 1971, passenger room came first--and the rest of
the car was designed around its occupants. It was touted as the first time an American car company had ever
done such a thing. Today, it's considered normal to do things this way--but in the mid-1970s, for an American
car company, it was revolutionary.
Passenger comfort, plus side-impact safety requirements and the necessary width for a conventional rear-drive
transmission, meant that the 1975 Pacer was 77 inches wide--a full foot wider than a Chevy Monza. Bench-seat
versions allowed three-abreast seating. Clever quirks abounded. Pacer's doors were asymmetrical--the
passenger opening four inches longer than the driver's side, to allow easier ingress for rear passengers. (This
was an issue for right-hand-drive export countries like England and Australia, however.) The doors also
wrapped into the roof, aircraft-style, for additional clearance stepping in and out. Rear-seat passengers may
have been close together--the seat was located atop the rear axle, forcing the rear wheel arches into the cabin-but when they got there, they had more rear legroom than was available in a contemporary Buick Riviera. This,
despite a wheelbase of exactly 100 inches--about four inches greater than a Mustang II's.
From that, the Pacer's other styling characteristics followed--particularly the generous cabin
glass, which wrapped around the rear of the car, and low beltline. Thin pillars on the wide hatch allowed ample
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1975-'80 AMC Pacer - continued
rearward visibility. The hood was sloped down toward the nose, both for aerodynamic efficiency and for
improved visibility from the driver's seat. Rain gutters were eliminated, in order to increase the Pacer's ability to
slice through the air. And, naturally, AMC's signature door handles (soon after stolen by Range Rover) were in
place as well. The Pacer looks tall, but it's a visual trick with all that glass--it's really just 53.6 inches high, not
far off from a modern Chevy Monte Carlo.
The Pacer was marketed as a small car ("The First Wide Small Car!," TV and print ads boasted), but while it was
short, its intermediate-sized width, an overall footprint as big as a contemporary Volvo sedan's and curb weight
rivaling a Mercedes 240D's (roughly 3,400 pounds) made it more of a mid-sized machine. (So-so fuel economy
and lackadaisical power from either straight-six undermined that notion.) Still, roughly 280,000 Pacers were
built from mid-1975 to the end of 1979 (making for a very low number of runout "1980" models), with more
than a quarter-million of them built in the first two years of production.
Here are additional comments from Frank Swygert, an AMC expert –
“Another thing that people forget is that the Pacer wasn't supposed to be an economy car. It was to be an
eventual replacement for the Matador. Yes, a four door version was on the drawing board! The two door wagon
was cheaper to add to the line-up is why it came before a four door sedan. It was such a radical design for the
time that AMC wisely debuted a single model and kept the Matador going until they could judge public
reaction”.
“Performance wise it compared well to a six cylinder Matador, probably a little better. The Pacer was more of a
safety car than an economy car. It weighed almost as much as a Matador (3114# vs. 3589# -- only a 475#
difference), and had a lot of safety features that other cars of the day didn't have. It was a very strong body -- I'd
much rather roll over a Pacer than any other mid 70s car”!
“The fuel crunch just happened to occur at about the time the Pacer was introduced. People liked the innovative
styling, power was acceptable for a mid-level car of the day, but fuel economy was about the same as a
six cylinder Matador. People obviously wanted better gas mileage with having to wait in line to get gas”!
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2013 Houston Autorama
The 2013 Houston Autorama, held during the week of Thanksgiving, proved to be a great success with a great
representation of AMC vehicles from the club. Many thanks to all who participated including those who showed their
vehicles as well as those that helped setup and take down. Held in the George R. Brown Center in downtown Houston,
the AMC Club of Houston was well represented with 6 vehicles on display. These included: Steve Collelo’s pair of
outstanding 1968 Javelins (one yellow and one beige), Jeffery Jung’s very original and clean white 1965 Rambler
American Hardtop, Charlie Fisbeck’s very popular and stunning green 1969 AMX, David Hughes’ beautiful beige 1969
AMX, and Mike Knuckey’s excellently restored blue 1972 Gremlin.
The club display had many visitors and there were many comments and questions asked and answered by club members
who helped monitor the display.
There was also a Metropolitan siting at the Autorama. It was a modified street machine and looked awesome!
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2013 Houston Autorama -
1972 Gremlin – Mike Knuckey
1968 Javelin – Steve Colello
1969 AMX – Charles Fisbeck
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continued
2013 Houston Autorama -
1968 Javelin – Steve Colello
1965 Rambler American – Jeff Jung
1969 AMX – David Hughes
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continued
AMC Marlin Fastback Coupe, 1965–1967
Pontiac’s GTO, which appeared in 1964, had every other American automaker rushing to cash in
on the emerging youth market for big-biceped intermediate muscle coupes— including AMC.
AMC, however, decided on a unique twist. Instead of me-tooing the Big Three’s muscle cars, it
went with the personal luxury coupe concept – anticipating cars like the upscale Pontiac Grand
Prix SJ by several years. The result was the ’65 Marlin.
It was a hulking but well-proportioned fastback coupe – the first intermediate fastback on the
market, too. Initially based on the Rambler Classic, it shared that model’s 112-inch wheelbase.
As with other AMCs of the era, the Marlin’s dramatic shape was penned by head stylist Richard
A. Teague. Engine choices that first year were confined to an economical 232 cube, 145-hp
straight six, or – optionally – one of two available AMC-built V-8s. The first choice was a 287
cube small block offering 198 hp. At the top was a 327 in two states of tune – 250 or 270 hp.
Compared with the GTO and other large muscle coupes of the time – many of which offered
engines closer to 400 cubes and as much as 350 hp or more – the Marlin may have seemed
somewhat lacking under the hood. However, early models were comparatively light – about
3,050 pounds for the ’66 model – so performance was very good. With the four-speed manual
and V-8, a Marlin was good for 0–60 in about 8 seconds or so. In 1965, that was a very
respectable clocking.
Attention was paid to handling, too. Even base six-cylinder versions were equipped from the
factory with a front anti-roll bar. Front disc brakes were standard, too. Many cars of the time –
including V-8 muscle cars – still came standard with four-wheel drum brakes. Buyers could
order a 4-speed manual gearbox, mag wheels, a sporty center console that ran the length of the
interior, full gauges with tachometer and low-back bucket seats.
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Two-tone paint schemes were another Marlin hallmark with the fastback’s center section, roof,
and side trim often painted a contrasting color, such as black over white. Two show cars – the
Black Marlin and Marlin Tahiti – were particularly striking. The Black Marlin was painted
glossy black with color-complemented interior while the Tahiti was sprayed with a dazzling
metal-flake blue, with South Seas Floral interior motif.
When the ’67 model year rolled around, the Marlin had grown considerably. It now rode on a
118-inch modified version of the full-size Ambassador sedan’s platform – and fielded suitably
larger, more powerful 290 and 343 cube V-8s. The latter produced up to 280 when ordered with
4-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. Still not quite a match for Pontiac’s new 400 V-8 (also
introduced that year as the successor to the previous 389) let alone the mighty 396 big block
available in the Chevy Chevelle but, nonetheless, respectable.
The thing to keep in mind is that the Marlin had been conceived as a personalized luxury cruiser,
not another muscle car. No GTO or Chevelle or 442 ever offered individually reclining rear
bucket seats with a fold-away center console. The Marlin also came with an adjustable steering
wheel – and most were loaded up with comfort options like air conditioning, Solex-tinted glass,
and power windows.
Unfortunately for AMC, the emerging youth market craved cubic inches uber alles and the
Marlin just didn’t have the scoot to compete with similar offerings from GM, Ford, and Chrysler.
In 1968, it was retired and replaced by the smaller (and ultimately more successful) Javelin.
The Marlin’s brief model run – just three years, from ’65–’67 – and low total production (fewer
than 18,000 were built, total) means these are among the rarest – as well as among the most
interesting – of AMC collectibles. Models equipped with the four-speed manual transmission
and bigger V-8s are especially desirable.
Marlin Facts:
* The ’65 production car was inspired by the 1964 Tarpon show car.
* The Marlin’s back seat was specifically designed to accommodate 6-foot-4-inch AMC chief
Roy Abernethy, who took a personal interest in the development of the car.
* AMC’s unusual Twin Stick Overdrive was available in the Marlin but very few were so
ordered – less than 6 percent of total production, according to AMC records.
* A Vibra Tone radio was optional that was designed to produce stereo-like sound (FM stereo
radio broadcasting was not yet widespread).
* The base price for the ’65 model was $3,100, but was lowered to $2,601 for ’66 as part of an
aggressive sales strategy intended to undercut rivals.
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